professional wrestling

Question
QUESTION: Hi my name is Alex and i'm 20 years old.I just want to know how i can get into professional wrestling here in Australia. I've followed WWE all my life and have just started to get into TNA as they have the amazing X-division and i would love to do something just like that.I have found a few professional places here in Aus such as The Snake Pit in Adelaide but i would really like to get a chance and start a career in it. I have done some at-home stuff with mates and the family setting up a ring and matches and safety gear so it was safe and everything but i'm looking to take what i've done and my skills to a professional level. Can you please help me??

ANSWER: Hello Alex,

The first step is to go into a pro wrestling school. Your question seems to be asking about the options. Since you didn't specify a state, I rechecked the details of every pro wrestling school in Australia, at least all except really small training centers that is only really known locally. The details do change at times and for all I know the details for one or more of these schools may have changed already or change in the near future, always get in touch with the website of the pro wrestling school to confirm details and find out more information.

To help you determine what options you are interested in, I've included some other info about the schools.

New South Wales:

Vulcan's Pro Wrestling School:
Club Vulcan Menai, Unit 14, 800 Old Illawara Rd
Menai, New South Wales
Website: http://www.clubvulcan.com.au/wrestling.html
Phone: 9541-4284
Email: No email address provided

Other Info: Classes run year round. Training is for juniors 11-14 and adults 15 and over. Junior classes are $399 for 10 weeks with 2 lessons per week. Adult classes are $599 for 10 weeks with 2 lessons per week.

AWF Wrestling School (Australasian Wrestling Federation)
7 / 32 Swettenham Road, St Andrews
Campbelltown, New South Wales,
Website: http://www.awfwrestling.com.au/school/index.htm
Phone: 0410-691-377
Email: [email protected]

This school also has a camp twice a year, AWF Dreamcamp, for ages 12 years and over as a fun introduction. Details can be found on the website when close to the camp date.

International Pro Wrestling Academy (International Wrestling Australia)
1 Herbert Street, Dulwich Hill,
Sydney, New South Wales
Website: http://www.iwawrestling.com.au/index.php?p=1_6
Phone: 0420-782-042
Email: Via contact form on website

Other Info: Accepts those under 18, no stated minimum age. A copy of a medical certificate from a licensed GP stating you are fit for such a training program is required to begin training. There are no refunds for any payment made. A friend or parent may attend to watch you training but they cannot participate. Also, they must pay $10 per visit. Comfortable clothes and shoes should be worn, a towel brought, with knee and elbow pads recommended.  The course costs $1650, GST included, with $5 per visit as casual gym fees apply- no gym membership is given and the school does not own a gym. Payments can be made via direct bank deposit, cheque, money order or cash. Payment plans can be arranged in some cases, usually 4 payments over 8 weeks. Payments are preferred prior but may also be made in full or part on your start date.  Payment is not to be sent with an application. Successful applicants will be notified accordingly, and then payment can be made. Sessions are 12-3 pm on Saturdays. An average of 10-12 training sessions are needed prior to appearance on a live show.  

PWA Australia Pro Wrestling Training Academy (Pro Wrestling Alliance Australia)
Liverpool Masonic Centre, exact address unknown (possibly 92 Copeland Street)
Liverpool, New South Wales
Website: http://pwaaustralia.com/pwa/?page_id=4
Phone: 0403-163-683
Email: [email protected]

Other Notes: Summer Holiday Intensive camps are run. Managers, valets and referees are trained here. Exercise equipment and a full size wrestling ring are on site. There are 4 sessions a week.

Nightmare Wrestling Training School (Nightmare Wrestling)
Drummoyne RSL Club, Drummoyne,
City of Canada Bay, Sydney
Website: http://nightmarewrestling.com.au/?page_id=236
Phone: No phone number provided, but may be gained through contact form on website
Email: Via contact form on website

Other Info: Accepts those 17 years old and over. There are interstate and international guest trainers. Pro history and psychology part of the course, structured with beginner, intermediate and advanced courses. Training is also available for managers and referees.

Victoria:

Alpha Pro Wrestling Training Academy (Alpha Pro Wrestling)
Horne Street, Campbellfield
Melbourne, Victoria
Website: http://www.myspace.com/alphawrestling_au
Phone: 0412-436-002
Email: http://www.hotfrog.com.au/Companies/Alpha-Pro-Wrestling/SendEmail.aspx?company=A, or through their MySpace.

Other Info: Accepts those 16 and older. Trainers have 8 years minimum experience. Students must be physically fit before commencement of training.

BPW Training Facility (Ballarat Pro Wrestling)
Exact location unknown,
Ballarat, Victoria
Website: http://www.myspace.com/ballaratprowrestling and http://www.ballaratprowrestling.com.au/index.php
Phone: Phone number not available
Email:[email protected] or through contact form at http://www.ballaratprowrestling.com.au/contact-bpw.php

Other Info: Please include Training in the subject header for emails. Response should arrive within two business days.

DWX Dojo (Maximum Energy Pro Wrestling and Downunder Wrestling X-Treme)
Doveton Primary School Sports Hall,
Doveton or Oakleigh, Victoria
Website: http://www.mpwrestling.org/index2.html
Phone: 0397-931-154
Email: [email protected]

Other Info: Training Monday and Thursday 5pm-7pm. Call only during working hours.

Slam Pro Wrestling Academy (Pro Championship Wrestling Entertainment)
Exact Address Unknown,
Hallam, Victoria
Website: http://www.pcwentertainment.com/training
Phone: 0417-523-142
Email: Through contact form at http://www.pcwentertainment.com/training

Other Info: Has two full-sized wrestling rings and a complete weight and cardio gymnasium. New students must pay for a minimum of two assessment classes at $25 each. After passing the assessments, a first year of training costs $150, with $50 for each subsequent year. Training sessions are $15 per week after assessments and there is a minimum of one training session per week.

Queensland

IPW Sweatshop (Impact Pro Wrestling Australia)
The Sweatshop, 2/34 Commercial Drive,
Southport, Queensland
Website: http://www.ipwaustralia.com.au/wrestling-school.html
Phone: 0449-185-447
Email: Through contact form at http://www.ipwaustralia.com.au/contact-us.html

Other Info: Accepts those 12 and over. All shapes and sizes accepted.

The Dragon抯 Lair (Pro Wrestling Alliance Queensland)
Bray Park PCYC, Les Hughes Sporting Complex, corner of Baker Street and Francis Road,
Bray Park, Queensland
Website: http://www.pwaqueensland.com/training.html
Email: [email protected]

Other Info: Training every Saturday, venue easily reached by public transport. Training covers safety, etiquette in and out of the ring, conditioning, drills, ring psychology, timing and positioning and emphasis is placed on the basics. Holds guest seminars by international stars such as Chris Hero, Shadow Phoenix and Sara Del Ray. Also trains managers, valets and referees. The school accepts those 16 and over. This is a non-negotiable age limit.

Western Australia:

Southern Hemisphere Wrestling Academy (Southern Hemisphere Wrestling Alliance and New Horizon Pro Wrestling)
Exact Location unknown,
Perth, Western Australia
Website: http://www.shwa.org.au/site/home.html and extra info on http://shwa.forumotion.net/southern-hemisphere-wrestling-academy-f4/announcing-t
Phone: Head Trainer Manu at 0430-241-706 and manager/promoter Mike De-Vaney at 0418-697-478
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Other Info:
Run on the template devised from the Storm Academy and Wild Samoans Training Center. Beginner抯 course includes one or two weeks of training with a guest trainer from America with big match experience, from WWE/TNA or extensive independent wrestling experience and includes one on one tutoring. Placements limited to 10-15 people to maximise benefit to each student.

Beginner抯 course costs $500 plus GST and lasts for three months. Accepts students 16 and over with written clearance from a licensed Doctor or General Practitioner being required to start the course. The tryout fee is $50. After the beginner抯 course, the cost is $60 a month to train by the first Tuesday of each month and $10 per session. There are 12 sessions a month.

Payment includes a training shirt, an 8x10 graduate promotional photo, graduate class photo, graduate dress shirt and graduate certificate. Protective gear is required and students must obtain there own. Some equipment can be purchased from the gym or be ordered in.

Students who pass this course will then in turn have a chance to wrestle regularly on the Southern Hemisphere Wrestling Alliance and New Horizon Pro Wrestling (AUS) roster to enhance there skills here in Perth.

If chosen there will be future bookings for a few to represent our school with Federations in America. These include New Horizon Pro Wrestling (USA ?New Jersey), World Xtreme Wrestling C4 (Pennsylvania), NYWC Wrestling (New York) and many other federations for those wanting to earn the opportunity.

Those who do not graduate within three months will have to resit the course at a cost of $150. Reasons for not graduating include lack of attendance; continual lateness or whether said student is safe enough.

For those who require a bit more time the course is flexible if the trainer believes they are close enough.

AAW Platinum Australia Wrestling School (AAW Platinum Australia)
Unit 9/14 Helmshore Way,
Port Kennedy, Western Australia
Website: http://www.myspace.com/allactionwrestlingperth until new website constructed and extra info at http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=525613716&blogI
Phone: 0423-676-023
Email: [email protected]

The Dynamite Factory (Explosive Pro Wrestling)
Exact location unknown,
Maddington, Western Australia
Website: http://www.epwperth.com/training.html
Phone: 0411 570 021
Email: [email protected]

Other Info: Tryouts held for two days about twice a year. The tryouts are both a basic introduction to wrestling as well containing moderate strength and cardiovascular tests to determine level of fitness and thus suitability for training.  This school accepts those 16 years old and over. Tryouts cost $100.

South Australia

RCW Training Academy (Riot City Wrestling)
3 Clyde Street,
Wingfield, South Australia
Website: http://www.riotcitywrestling.com/training.html
Phone: 0431-060-256
Email: [email protected]

Other Info: Accepts those 15 years old and over. Tryouts held monthly and cost a small fee to attend. Depending on how fast the student learns, 6-18 months before first match. Training is four nights a week.

NWA Pro Training School (NWA Pro Australia)
Exact location unknown
Adelaide, South Australia
Website: http://www.nwapro.com.au/training.htm
Phone: No phone number specifically for training inquiries, the number for general enquiries is 0412-824-719
Email: [email protected]

Other notes: This school trains those 16 years and over. Also trains managers and referees as well as wrestlers.

Snakepit Pro Wrestling Academy (Snake Pit Professional Wrestling)
44 Cheviot Road, Salisbury South
Adelaide, South Australia
Website: http://www.thesnakepit.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid
Phone: No phone number available
Email: [email protected]

Tasmania:

Tasmanian Championship Wrestling Training Academy (Tasmanian Championship Wrestling)
Exact location unknown, Geilston Bay,
Hobart, Tasmania
Website: http://www.tasmanianchampionshipwrestling.com/academy.htm
Phone: 0458-777-742 and 0362-437-750
Email: Through contact form at http://www.tasmanianchampionshipwrestling.com/academy.htm

Other Info: Features guest seminars. Four levels of training provided- Juniors, Beginners, Intermediates and Advanced classes. Workshops held on weekends and school holidays. Budget accommodation included in the package for inter-state and state-wide participants.


Many schools should be able to teach in a high-flying style if that is what you wish to learn. PWAQ in particular has some guest trainers, such as Chris Hero and Shadow Phoenix, who know a lot about fast-paced wrestling, but as most if not all Australian schools should instruct in the style, it is more about what school you would be most comfortable at (including which ones are closer to your location). Fasy paced wrestling like the X Division is found in many Australian promotions, because there are many Australian wrestlers who are into that style. Since Australian wrestlers usually work in multiple promotions, if you pass pro wrestling school you should be able to wrestle in X Division style matches at some point.

NWA Pro has international connections and international wrestlers working with them, so along along with PWAQ and SHWA, to name two others, they are promotions that can help launch you to opportunities internationally. Regardless of your school, if you are passionate for pro wrestling, put in your all, take care to protect yourself and always continue to improve yourself, then one day you could very well become considerably successful in pro wrestling. Attitude counts for a lot and leads to a lot in pro wrestling.

Good luck in your future endeavours.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Its Alex again.
I just want to thank you for all your help it really is a great help finding out bout so many schools round Australia.
Do you know if any of them really specify in technical and submission wrestling?? As that seems to be my style more than the high-flying stuff. Also is there anything i should actually know when going into the schools or will they help teach me things from the basics??
Ialso should have stated i was from Vic but u did some find some info on Vic schools so thank you again

Answer
Hello again Alex,

I've looked at websites and even on some of the trainers, but I haven't found anything indicating a school in Victoria specialises in the submission style. All of the schools will teach it and likely teach it very well, depending of course on the trainers and their teaching style compared to your learning style- but I haven't found any information that says 'this school specialises in technical wrestling.'

When you said "TNA as they have the amazing X-division and i would love to do something just like that," I thought you wanted to be a high-flyer as a result of that. But yeah, each of the options should be able to give you good training in the technical and submission skills, since it isn't like the hardcore style which has limited wrestlers that wrestle in that style, or the Japanese puroresu style where knowledge of it is spread out more.

All I can really suggest that could help is to get in contact with the schools and ask about how much submission/technical training they give at their school and see if any school focuses on it a bit more and see overall which school is a better fit for you.